Getting Closer: Season 1, Episode 9
by bionic4ever
Summary: Season 1, Episode 9: Jaime's pregnancy threatens to end her career....and then her life. Will Steve have to make the most difficult decision of all? Thank you to The Bionic Project - and special thanks to Julie.
1. Prologue

**Getting Closer** – Season 1, Episode 9

Prologue

"Rudy, you've gotta do something about Steve!" Jaime insisted when her weekly check-up was over. "He is making me _crazy_!"

Rudy patted her knee and smiled. "He's an expectant father, Honey – that officially qualifies him for temporary insanity."

"Yeah, but...remember what you told him – that I'm not a china doll? I don't think he believed you, 'cause he's treating me like the baby is two weeks overdue and I'm about to deliver on the living room carpet!"

Rudy grimaced. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse! And I couldn't tell him that Oscar called me this morning – wants to see me when I'm done here – because I know he'd totally lose it. He'd probably bolt the door and refuse to let me go!"

"I'm not sure I like it, either," Rudy admitted, "but I guess it depends on what Oscar has in mind for you. You're only eight weeks along, so you can be as physically active as you feel up to....bionic 'tricks' are an exception, though. Don't forget -"

"No jumping off of buildings," Jaime recited by rote, "no kicking down doors or lifting cars by their bumpers."

"I think you've got the idea. But I also think you'd better tell Oscar you're pregnant – _before_ he sends you out. He has to be aware of the whole situation, Jaime."

"I know," Jaime allowed. "It's time. Rudy, do you think....."

"You'd like me to help you tell him?"

"Well....yeah. Then maybe he won't yell at me -"

"He is not going to yell at you," Rudy promised, "but I can give him a clear idea of what you can – and can_not_ do."

Jaime hugged him. "I guess we'd better get it over with...."

- - -


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Oscar had promised Steve and Jaime that he wouldn't call either of them for at least a week, and he'd more than kept his word, allowing them two full weeks of newlywed bliss. Still, even though it was business, he was looking forward to seeing Jaime again. He rose to meet her, grinning broadly. "Babe, it's great to see you! How was the honeymoon?" He saw the nervously serious look on Jaime's face...then noticed she wasn't alone. "Rudy...?"

"We need to talk, Oscar," Rudy told him, pulling out a chair for Jaime before sitting down himself.

"This sounds serious," Oscar said, re-taking his own seat.

"There's something you need to know before you send Jaime on an assignment," Rudy began.

"Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

"No...not exactly..." Jaime hedged. "Oscar, I wanna work – I really do – but...." Jaime looked to Rudy for help. This was harder than she thought it would be.

Rudy was finding it difficult, as well. After all, this would be a first for the OSI. There'd been several other female operatives in the agency's recent history, but never before had an active agent been pregnant. "What sort of assignment do you have for her?" the doctor asked.

Oscar wasn't sure if he should be addressing Jaime...or Rudy. He chose Jaime. "It's fairly straightforward," he told her. "Just a standard safe-crack: you break in, open the safe, retrieve a file and get out."

"Break in...how?" Rudy queried. "How many floors up is this safe – and how heavily guarded?"

Oscar frowned. He wasn't used to questions from someone other than his operative. "It's a single-level building with one guard in front and one in back. Jaime can choose how she prefers to get in. Once she's safely inside, the building itself is deserted."

"Doesn't sound like a problem," Jaime mused, looking to Rudy for the final approval. The doctor nodded his assent.

"Alright," Oscar said, frowning, "what are the two of you not telling me?"

"Oscar, we need to be careful the types of missions Jaime participates in – at least for the time being."

"I'm pregnant," Jaime blurted. There – she'd said it. Now he knew. She braced herself for the explosion but when it came, it wasn't from Oscar.

"What are you doing?" Steve demanded from the doorway. He made it across the office in two strides and placed his hands possessively on Jaime's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Oscar, but she just can't do it."

Jaime was floored. "Steve -"

"Was this your 'doctor's appointment'?" Steve demanded, his voice softening.

"No, I saw Rudy and Doctor Jeffries first...and everything is fine," Jaime explained.

"Why didn't you tell me Oscar called you?"

Jaime rubbed her cheek affectionately against his hand but then stared at him with a firmly-set jaw. "Because I knew you'd...do this. Oscar, when do I leave?"

"Forget it, Jaime," Steve told her.

"It's an easy assignment – in and out in one day -"

"Then _I'll_ do it."

"I don't think you have the right equipment to crack a safe in 90 seconds flat," Jaime said gently. "And if you muscle it open, I'm guessing there's an alarm." She looked to Oscar, who nodded.

"She's right, Pal. And while this isn't the best time to say it, congratulations – to both of you. We're all treading new ground here, but I won't ask Jaime to do anything that would jeopardize her health...or your baby's safety."

"She'll be okay, Steve," Rudy added quietly.

"When do I leave?" Jaime repeated.

"We're not done talking about this yet," Steve insisted.

"We'll talk when I get home," Jaime said firmly. Her eyes pleaded lovingly with her husband and, reluctantly, he gave in.

"Are you sure she'll be safe?" he demanded.

"I'm _good_ at this," Jaime reminded him. "I'll keep myself safe."

"While she's gone," Rudy suggested, "you and I can talk. I think I can help you worry at least a little bit less."

"I really need you in there as soon as possible," Oscar told Jaime, handing her a file. "Here's all the information and the chopper's on the roof."

Jaime kissed her husband and was gone, leaving three men who suddenly didn't know what to say to each other.

- - - - -


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Rudy took Steve down to his office, closed the door and got out his secret stash...of brandy. "You're worried about her," he noted, handing Steve a glass.

"It'd be different if she was a secretary or a file clerk..."

"Would it?" Rudy questioned.

"Yes! This job is too dangerous for her right now. Period." Steve took a healthy swig of the brandy, and then another. "She could make one wrong move – and get shot!"

"Like Jaime said, she's very good at this," Rudy reminded him.

"Yeah, but you told us this is a high risk pregnancy, right? Jaime should be home, resting."

"You need to ease up on her, Steve – make sure you're not stressing her more by hovering."

"I do _not_ hover!" Steve insisted. Seeing the doctor's raised eyebrow and doubtful expression, though, he had to admit it. "Alright, maybe I'm a little over-protective -"

"A little?"

"I'll try and stop hovering."

"Doctor Jeffries and I are keeping a very close eye on things," Rudy promised. "And Jaime knows what she can and can't do; she'll handle herself just fine."

---

Jaime eyed the security fence from behind the safety of a small hill off to one side of the building. Her first thought was to jump over – it wasn't that high (and wasn't _exactly_ jumping off of a roof) – but she took a few extra minutes to consider her options. When the back door guard went around to the front to confer with his cohort, Jaime made her move. She'd seen one of the men lean against the fence, so she knew it wasn't electrified, and working quickly she sliced an opening for herself, slipped through and bent the wires back into place so they were almost unnoticeable. Thanks to her detailed Intel map, she found the safe right away and within seconds had the file in her hand.

Jaime heard the guard's footsteps as he returned to his position at the back gate, so she ducked out the side door (very happy she'd cut an escape hole rather than jumping) and ran as fast as she dared, through the hole, across the field and past the small hill to where she was completely out of sight. "We did it," she whispered, softly rubbing her belly before pulling out her datacom to call the chopper. As she made her way to the arranged pick-up zone and her adrenaline returned to normal, Jaime realized that suddenly she was very tired.

---

"Excellent work, Babe," Oscar said, placing the retrieved file in his safe. "How do you feel?"

"Aw, not you too!" Jaime sighed. "I get enough of that with Steve asking me every five minutes."

"Then I won't ask again for at least another ten," Oscar chuckled.

"Actually, I _am_ more tired than I thought I'd be, for a simple assignment," Jaime admitted. "Is Rudy still here?"

"He's downstairs with Steve. Don't worry – they're just talking." Oscar picked up the phone. "I'll let him know you're coming. Jaime...?" Oscar called as she turned to go. "You'll make an excellent Mommy; congratulations."

---

"Wow – that was quick!" Steve exclaimed when Jaime walked into the lab (where he and Rudy had settled in for a few hands of poker).

Jaime shrugged. "It wasn't far – piece of cake." She leaned toward Steve as he stood to embrace her...and promptly collapsed into his arms. "Guess I'm a little tired," she said softly.

Steve scooped her up and – before she could argue – laid her gently on the bed, where Rudy was already waiting. "Let's have a look at you," Rudy told her, swinging immediately from friend into full doctor mode. "Are you having any pain?"

"No...just tired...and a little woozy."

"What's wrong with her, Doc?" Steve asked, hovering anxiously.

"Her blood pressure is too high and she's exhausted. Did you use your bionics at all, Honey?"

"Only a little...mostly to run."

Rudy knew about the adrenaline rush that flooded an agent's system while they were working – good operatives thrived on it. "That may have been a little more stress than your body was ready for. Steve, I'll keep her here overnight, just to be on the safe side, and have Doctor Jeffries look at her tomorrow." He patted Jaime's hand. "Until we know exactly what happened and why, I'm afraid there'll be no more missions for you, Young Lady."

This time, Jaime didn't argue.

- - - - -


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Doctor Jeffries scanned Jaime's blood tests and pulled a chair up to the bed. "Mrs. Austin, you have an electrolyte imbalance."

"Is that serious?" Steve asked quickly.

"It can be, but we've caught it early. I'm guessing you've been battling morning sickness?"

"Sometimes," Jaime told him.

Jeffries nodded. "You'll need to stay here for a few more hours, for some IV fluids to restore the balance – and then you should be good to go. Home, that is, not back to work. Not yet. Any further problems with weakness, dizziness or pain of any sort, and I want you to call Doctor Wells or myself immediately." Lynda rolled in the requested IV and he started to insert it in Jaime's right arm then smiled and moved to the other side of the bed. "I'm still getting used to this," he told them. He glanced up at Steve. "Make sure she stays flat on her back, _resting_, until the drip is finished. Then, as long as she's stable – and she will be – you can take her home."

"Thank you," Steve said, shaking the doctor's hand.

---

Steve got Jaime settled into her favorite chair and made her a cup of tea, then slid the ottoman in front of her, plumped a pillow on top of it and smiled. "Feet up, please," he said lightly.

"Steve -"

"C'mon – Doctor Steve's orders."

"I'm fine – Rudy even said so! Besides, what good does putting my feet up do? They have no circulation, so -"

"It enforces the idea that you're _resting_," Steve told her, lifting her feet onto the pillow himself. "And don't worry about dinner, either; I'll take care of it."

"_You're_ gonna cook?" Jaime giggled. "Let me make sure we have the fire hose, an extinguisher and the phone close by, just in case."

"You left out Poison Control," he retorted, feigning wounded pride. "I said I'd take care of it. Didn't say I was gonna cook." He leaned over the back of the chair and kissed her tenderly. "I'm glad you're home. I really missed you."

"I was only gone for one day – and you spent the night with me at Rudy's lab," Jaime pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I missed having you here, all to myself."

"You're not gonna have me all to yourself for much longer, you know. And you'd better be careful, Colonel – your soft side is showing."

"With you, always," Steve said, kissing her again.

---

Two weeks later, Oscar paced anxiously around his office, waiting for Rudy. The doctor came up as soon as he was done with Jaime's tenth-week exam. "How's she doing?" Oscar asked, still looking out the window.

"Jaime? She's fine – perfectly healthy and progressing normally," Rudy told him.

"What about work? Is she up to it?"

"Depends who you ask. According to Jaime, she was fine after a couple of days' rest. Steve would tell you to wait at least a year – if ever."

"And you? What do you and Jeffries think?" Oscar queried, treading very carefully.

"Depends what you need her to do. I'm guessing you have something in mind?"

"Possibly. I'll have to wait another day or two, see how things pan out first, but in the meantime, I wanted your opinion."

"If it's not too vigorous, she should be fine. But I also know you can't make any promises in that regard, so I'd advise you to think it through very carefully. If possible, send Steve instead."

"This may require a woman's touch. But whatever happens, I'll let you know first. Thanks, Rudy." When his friend had gone, Oscar finally turned away from the window. He hadn't wanted the doctor to see how very worried he was.

---

"Do you feel anything yet?" Steve asked, one hand on Jaime's belly.

"Not for at least another six weeks," she laughed. "I'm not even showing yet."

"How ya doing in there, Buddy?" Steve asked, bending toward Jaime's stomach.

"You're calling our daughter 'Buddy'?"

"No...our son," Steve chuckled. "A house with _two_ females? I'd never be able to get in a single word!"

- - - - -


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"That's strange..." Steve puzzled, hanging up the phone.

"What's strange?" Jaime called from her bubble bath.

Steve poked his head in the bathroom door, smiled at what he saw...and forced himself to stay focused. "Rudy just called. He wants me to come down to the lab. Something about my last tests being incomplete."

"Wonder why he didn't just tell me this morning..." Jaime said. "Want me to come with you?"

"No – I'll just get it over with and be back in a few hours. I'll bring dinner."

---

"So, did it work?" Rudy asked when Steve got to the lab.

"I think so, but I don't like lying to Jaime – not even a white lie. What's on your mind, Doc? What'd Oscar do?"

"He may be wanting to put Jaime back to work."

"No way. I won't let her do it."

"We won't know for sure until at least tomorrow, but I know if you found out at the same time Jaime did, well...she'd most likely get her way about it. Which is fine – she's healthy – but I figured I'd give you a heads up, just to be fair."

"Thanks, Rudy; I appreciate it." Steve was already on his way to the elevator.

---

Steve nodded hello to Callahan and did a double-take when he saw Christine waiting outside Oscar's office, then nodded hello to her as well before pushing the inner door open (and nearly taking it off its hinges). "Forget it, Oscar. You can't have her."

"Rudy told you already?"

"Of course he did! If I'd only heard about it when Jaime did, a day or two from now, you know she'd get her way. She always does. But...you were counting on that, weren't you?"

"Steve, I -"

"No. End of discussion!"

"There'd be virtually no danger involved -"

"Forget it!"

"Just a simple fact-finding mission – a couple of days undercover to see what she can overhear -"

"Even the most basic assignment can go bad in less than a heartbeat – you know that!" Steve argued.

"I may not even need her, Pal, but -"

"You _don't_ need her! This agency ran just fine for a whole lot of years before Jaime came along. If you'd never met her, if she'd never worked for you...you'd find another option. You'd have to!"

"I suppose you're right about that," Oscar admitted.

"Well, you _have_ to! Even if Rudy's cleared her and Jaime thinks she's ready...she isn't. She'd need one hundred percent of her attention focused on her work – and at least part of that attention would go toward keeping our baby safe. She can't work like that! And you can't ask her to – it's too dangerous!"

"Are you done now?" Oscar asked quietly.

"That depends."

"I'm already working on finding a different agent – and I think I have. She's NSB and very good, but it'll take her twice as long since she doesn't have the advantage of Jaime's ear."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Steve agreed. "Buy you a drink?"

"Actually, I have a dinner date waiting for me..."

"Oh? Christine?"

"That's right." Oscar grinned. "If she meets your approval, of course. Wouldn't want anything to happen to my door on your way out."

---

Jaime was sitting with her feet dutifully propped up on the ottoman when Steve came home. "How'd the tests go?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Oh, fine." Steve set the Chinese take-out boxes on the kitchen table and returned to kiss his wife. "The lab lost one of the blood tests, so he re-did it – nothing serious."

"Uh-huh. And did you talk to Oscar?"

"Did I – what?"

Jaime tugged on her ear. "Can't get much past this amplifier, Colonel."

"Sometimes I really hate that ear....but I love _you._"

"So...what'd they want, Rudy and Oscar?"

"We should eat while it's still hot. Chinese tastes nasty cold."

"Steve..."

"All those soggy veggies and mushy meats, congealing together...."

"Hey – pregnant stomach here! Save the yuck for somebody else. We'll talk about it over dinner."

Somehow, Steve knew she'd drag the truth out of him. Jaime always did.

- - - - -


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Oscar couldn't stop looking at Christine, seated across the little candle-lit table. He'd managed to finagle an entire uninterrupted evening away from the office and there was no other way he wanted to spend it but on a third date with her. He could count on two hands the number of women he'd asked out in the last few years. The number he'd taken for a second date, he could number on one hand with a thumb and finger left over. A third date? Unheard of...until Christine.

She was charming, utterly fascinating to him – and fascinated _by_ him. She didn't ask a single question about his work with the OSI, either. What interested Christine was what Oscar had been like as a child. Oscar found as he answered her questions (and asked a few of his own) that he was more and more drawn to everything about her. He found himself willingly sharing details of his boyhood – his family...and Sam – that he usually kept closed off from view. With Christine, Oscar felt comfortable...and happy.

For her part, Christine was relieved to finally find a man who knew how to treat her like a lady. Oscar was respectful, gentle, sweet...and very handsome. She didn't know where this fledgling relationship might lead them, but she couldn't wait to find out.

- - -

Russ and Peggy were spending the evening celebrating the two-month anniversary of their very first date. They could talk about absolutely anything, but were equally as happy saying nothing at all and just being together. Russ was beginning to realize he could be content to look into her eyes and hear her laughter for the rest of his life. He wasn't quite ready to bring that up just yet, but he thought (from the way she leaned toward him, touching his hand when she spoke) that she might be feeling that way, too.

Peggy had gone all out, cooking a special dinner, but she didn't have to wonder if Russ appreciated that. His smile and the sparkle in his eyes said it all...and neither one felt a need to try and impress the other. They'd moved far beyond that. They were more than drawn to each other – lately, they felt incomplete when they had to be apart. Now, it seemed, they were both ready to take a very special step closer together. Tonight, Russ would not be going home...

- - -

Steve and Jaime were reaching a new phase of their own – the 'I can't stand what you did but I love you anyway' phase. Jaime had indeed gotten the truth out of Steve over dinner....and she was furious.

"Since when do you make decisions for me – without me?" she demanded.

"I thought it was best...just this once..."

"You don't get to decide what's 'best' for me! I do! Or we do, but not you, all by yourself!"

"I'm sorry. I -"

"For all you know, I might've made the same choice....but we don't get to find that out, do we? Steve, I am not a child and I'm not your possession!"

"Sweetheart, you really shouldn't get this upset -"

"I have every right to get upset!"

"It's not good for you...or for our baby."

Jaime opened her mouth to argue, then stopped short. "You're right," she said softly.

"I'm sorry for talking to Oscar without you, but I can't stand even the thought of something happening to you...to the two of you. I love you...and little Edgar here." Steve gently rubbed Jaime's stomach as he kissed her.

"_Edgar?!?_ We are not calling our baby Edgar! Besides, she's gonna need a more feminine name..."

"Okay. How about Bertha?"

"Steve!"

"Steve's not a feminine name," he joked. "Esmerelda? Gertrude? I've got it - Matilda!"

"We have lots of time to decide," Jaime said, laughing as she settled happily into his arms.

- - - - -


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jaime felt blissful...and exhausted. It was a strange juxtaposition: a body strengthened and energized by bionic science and at the same time being sapped by a tiny (albeit very welcome) intruder. As Jaime's pregnancy reached the 12th week, she found her legs were still as strong and ready to go as ever while the rest of her body was forcing her to admit that Steve had been right. Work at the OSI, for her, was no longer an option. She joked with Steve and Rudy that she would probably be able to pass out and still remain solidly on her feet, but on the rare occasions when weakness did hit, her legs obeyed her brain and central nervous system and obediently sent her to the floor. Jaime quickly learned to ask for help when she needed it – a somewhat foreign concept for one who was used to (and enjoyed) her independence.

Most of the time, though, it was the best Jaime had ever felt in her life. She and Steve breathed a huge sigh of relief when the danger of miscarriage had passed. In the middle of her 16th week...a small miracle. Jaime was scooping ice cream to make banana splits when she suddenly grabbed her belly...and began to laugh.

"What is it?" Steve asked anxiously as he hurried her into a chair. "What's wrong?"

Jaime, still laughing as happy tears began streaming down her face, pulled Steve's hand onto her stomach. It was only a few moments until he felt it, too. "What _is_ that? It's fluttering! Is it supposed to flutter? Are you alright?"

"Oh, settle down, Daddy," Jaime giggled. "That's our daughter, saying hello."

"Does it hurt?"

"It sort of...tickles!" They both laughed as the tiny flutter said 'hello' once again.

---

By the 20th week, the flutters had become tiny taps – still not enough to wake Jaime up at night, but definitely grabbing her attention when she was awake. "We'd like to start seeing you twice a week – on Mondays and Thursdays," Rudy told her when he and Doctor Jeffries completed their weekly exam. "Everything is perfectly normal," he told a very anxious Steve. "We'd just like to start keeping closer track of the baby's progress...and any reaction Jaime's body might have to the advancing pregnancy."

"So she could still reject the fetus...and her bionics?" Steve asked.

"The probability of that is higher now, with the fetus drawing more from Jaime's system, but so far we see no signs of it happening."

"What should we be watching for?" Steve wondered.

"Headaches can be normal, but if one becomes severe or if there's any sort of pain – anywhere – give one of us a call," Rudy explained. "Otherwise, Jaime, you can still do anything you feel up to doing -"

Steve very pointedly cleared his throat....and Rudy nodded. "_Except_ go back to work," the doctor concluded. "In about another month, we'll want to tune down your bionics to normal strength -"

Jaime frowned. "Why? I don't really like the sound of that."

"For your own protection – and the baby's – when you're in labor. We'll talk more about that in the next few weeks."

"At least leave me my ear, so I can keep tabs on Nervous Nellie here?" Jaime requested, one arm around her husband.

"That'll be fine," the doctor agreed.

Steve grimaced. "Gee, thanks, Doc."

---

At the same time that Jaime and Steve were leaving the lab, Russ was striding through the front door – and when he saw Steve he grabbed him and pulled him off to one side. "Sweetheart, I'll just be a few minutes..." Steve said, almost pleadingly.

Jaime smiled. "I'll go get the car – and I won't eavesdrop."

When they were alone, Russ pulled a small box out of his pocket. "I'm going to take your advice," he said excitedly.

"Peggy's a great girl," Steve agreed. "I'm so happy for both of you." He looked outside, where Jaime was standing at the Tranquility Fountain with her back to them, pretending to not be listening (but Steve knew better). "And I know that Jaime is, too."

- - - - -


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Russ fingered the tiny box in his suit pocket, flipping it over and running his fingernail along the hinge. Nerves were something totally new and foreign to him – simply not allowed in his chosen career – but tonight he was definitely feeling them...in spades. Was he doing the right thing? His heart knew for certain that he was, but the Intelligence expert in him kept shuffling through the facts, searching for loopholes, problems....escape clauses.

He loved Peggy...and had no doubt that she loved him. For more than two months now, they'd spent virtually every free waking moment together (and, much more recently, the non-waking moments, as well). Still, it was a huge step – the biggest one of his life and one that (for most of his life) he'd thought he would never take. Until recently, Russ had been sure he'd follow in Oscar's footsteps, career-wise....and romance-wise (or lack thereof), too.

---

Christine smiled warmly at Oscar, wishing she could read his mind – or at least that his emotions weren't always held so carefully, so close to the vest. She could feel herself falling hard for this man, but her heart had been stolen – and broken – by a bureaucrat before, and not even an upper echelon man like Oscar Goldman. She'd been preparing herself all week for the cold, bureaucratic kiss-off...but it hadn't come. He wasn't using her, because he'd remained a perfect gentleman, never attempting more than a good night kiss. But those good night kisses were growing longer at the end of their dates and Christine's passion was about to reach its combustion point.

The question was....would she be reaching that point all alone....?

---

In the manner of a talented Intelligence man, Russ had taken care of every detail. A huge bouquet of red roses adorned the table in the private side room of their favorite restaurant. The candles were lit just prior to their arrival and a platter of Peggy's favorite Oysters Rockefeller magically appeared at the table along with a bottle of fine vintage wine. Between the appetizer and the next course, a violinist began to play softly, just outside the curtained partition, and Russ got down on one knee.

"It's only been two months," he began, "but that's long enough for me to know that you are the other half of my soul. You've brought out a side of me that I never even dreamed was there...and I don't ever want to lose you. I love you with all my heart, Margaret Callahan....will you -"

"Yes!" Peggy bubbled, before he'd even finished. "Yes, I will!"

"...marry me?" he finished, giddy with happiness.

---

"I don't see why I have to be 'tuned down', Jaime complained, pouting.

Steve sighed. "Sweetheart, Rudy told you why, but just think about it. I don't know a lot about this stuff yet, but I do know labor can get pretty wild."

"_That's_ an understatement."

"Right. So do you really want your legs at full bionic strength? I know I don't! I mean, what if you get mad and decide to kick me?"

"Point taken," Jaime admitted. "I'll let them do it – but I'm not gonna like it!"

"It won't be forever, just a few months," Steve reminded her. This called for immediate distraction. "Want some ice cream? I'll get you a bowl," Steve offered, heading for the kitchen.

"Put some maple syrup on it, will ya?"

---

It was their fifth date, and Oscar had been looking forward to it all day. Christine was so easy to be with, so comfortable to talk to....so why was he having so much trouble telling her about his growing feelings for her? He realized the reason – for the first time since he was very young, Oscar Goldman would be laid bare (metaphorically speaking) – his very soul open for someone else to view. He only hoped she would be gentle when he opened his heart....

- - - - -


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"How long will you be gone?" Jaime asked sullenly as she watched Steve pack.

"Couple of days...I think." Steve had a hard time looking at her. Two days ago, Rudy had tuned down Jaime's bionics and he knew she felt vulnerable. Hell, at 25 weeks, with her ever-more-prominent tummy bulge...she _was_ vulnerable! "It's just a routine assignment – nothing serious. I'll be home before you know it."

"I'll miss you," Jaime said, very softly. "And so will Edgar."

Steve kissed his wife...and her belly, then turned around in the doorway for one more look. Somehow, they both managed a smile and then he was gone. Jaime stared at the door and listened as his car went down the driveway. The baby kicked toward her ribcage – its strongest movement yet - and Jaime ran her hands gently over the bulge.

"I'll bet you're hungry. I know I am. Tell ya what – I'll have a banana split for both of us. And maybe some pizza...."

---

"First time I haven't seen your husband here for your check-up," Doctor Jeffries noted the next morning.

"He's working," Rudy answered for Jaime (who was lying prone on the exam table with her belly exposed). "He's expected back tomorrow night."

"Well, your baby's heartbeat sounds good and strong. Would you like to hear it?" Jaime nodded, and Jeffries placed the stethoscope to her ears.

"What a beautiful sound..." Jaime marveled, tears in her eyes.

"Everything looks good, Honey," Rudy told her. "Right on schedule and perfectly healthy." The lab phone rang and then the intercom buzzed.

"Oscar for you," Lynda announced with a strange urgency to her voice.

Rudy picked up. "Oscar? I'm just finishing up with Jaime and then -" Rudy frowned. "What? When?" He glanced at Jaime who, with the stethoscope still in her ears, had thankfully been unable to overhear the news. "When will they be here? Alright – I'll have the team ready."

When he hung up, Rudy moved to Jaime's side and she knew by the darkness in his eyes that something was terribly wrong. "Rudy....?" she whispered.

Rudy took her hand. "Honey, it's Steve...he's been shot."

"No-o-o.....is he....dead?"

"He's alive. The medivac will be at Bethesda in an hour, and I hate to leave you but I have to get my team and the operating room ready for him." He looked to Doctor Jeffries. "Frank, you'll stay with her?"

"Of course."

Jaime swung her legs off of the exam table. "I wanna meet the chopper with you."

"No, Honey, that's not a good idea. We don't know what kind of shape he's in, and in your condition..."

"Please, Rudy....."

"Doctor Jeffries can take you over to the hospital – and you can wait in my office. I'll let you know the minute I learn anything more. I really have to go, Honey."

Jaime nodded miserably. The ride to Bethesda was short, but for Jaime it seemed to take forever.

---

Jaime sat in Rudy's office under Doctor Jeffries' watchful eyes, slumped over in her chair and rubbing her belly in a desperate search for comfort. It had been well over an hour and still there was no word from Rudy. She tried to tune out the normal hospital hubbub, straining to hear the sound of a chopper coming in, but there was too much to shut out, all blurring into one loud, wailing cacophony as it reached her ears.

Doctor Jeffries had offered her a mild tranquilizer, assuring her it wouldn't affect the baby, but Jaime had refused and so far, he hadn't pressed the issue. She remembered what Steve had said, only a couple of months ago, about how even the simplest mission could easily go bad and result in....this. It all seemed so heartbreakingly ironic now.

Oscar joined them silently, pulling a chair close to Jaime's and holding her hand in both of his, to brace her for whatever she might soon have to hear from Rudy.

- - - - -


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Two hours passed – and no one had to tell Jaime that this was a bad sign. Steve's chopper had surely arrived, and if Rudy hadn't come to give them any news yet, Jaime knew this meant her husband's condition was too rocky for Rudy to leave him. The first person to join them was Russ, out of breath from a fast sprint down the hall.

"We got 'em, Oscar," he panted. "Steve hit all three of them before he..." Russ stopped when he saw Jaime. "Before he...collapsed," he finished weakly.

Jaime tried to hoist herself from the chair but Oscar and the doctor kept a firm, gentle hold on her and she sank back, defeated. "Did you talk to Rudy? Did you see Steve? How is he – did they tell you anything...?"

Russ looked apologetically at Oscar. He truly hadn't thought Jaime would be here, in her condition, and although he did know something, he was unsure if she could handle it. Oscar in turn looked at Doctor Jeffries, who nodded. The uncertainty was even harder on Jaime than knowing would be.

"He's in pretty bad shape..." Russ said reluctantly. The last thing he'd intended to do was be the bearer of this kind of news. "Rudy took him straight into surgery."

"Surgery for _what_?" Jaime cried, struggling to stay calm, well aware of the syringe the doctor probably had waiting. "Where did the....bullet...hit him?"

"Bullet?" Russ shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and back again, wishing he was anywhere else but here. "Jaime....I thought you knew...I'm so sorry – Steve was shot three times."

Jaime collapsed into sobs.

"Only one bullet hit flesh, though," Russ hurried to add. "One hit his leg and one hit just below the shoulder. The...ah...good news is that Rudy thinks the third bullet missed his heart."

"He was shot...in the chest?" Jaime sobbed. She clutched her stomach, as though trying to shield the unborn baby from the horror – and didn't fight when Doctor Jeffries plunged the needle into her arm.

"I'll see if I can find out anything else," Russ told them, quickly backing out of the office.

Oscar and the doctor helped Jaime across the hall to a bed that Rudy had arranged for her to use if necessary. The shot was a mild one and she didn't sleep, but her frantic sobs slowly turned to silent tears and she turned her back on the two men (and the world in general) to stare blindly out the window. Neither the doctor or her boss and dear friend had the right words to soothe her, but they sat patiently at Jaime's side, hoping to comfort her at least a little bit with their presence.

Hours later, there was still no word from Rudy, and the tranquilizer had worn off. Jaime had begun pacing slowly around the little hospital room and although both men blocked her from leaving, their worry – for Steve _and_ for his wife – had grown exponentially. Doctor Jeffries had prepared another stronger shot (one that would have the most minimal effects on the fetus) and was trying to calm Jaime's movements long enough to actually administer it.

If she hadn't been tuned down, Jaime would've forced her way to Steve's side long before now, but as it was, she had never felt more helpless. Finally, when she was just about to break down completely, Rudy appeared in the doorway. Jaime's emotions gave way when she saw him, and the two doctors helped her sit down. Oscar placed a warm, paternal hand on her shoulder to steady her...and Rudy took a deep breath.

"It's alright, Honey," he said gently, kneeling in front of Jaime's chair to look directly into her eyes. "The bullet punctured his lung, but he's breathing on his own now and his vital signs have stabilized." Rudy took Jaime's hand, concerned with the fact that she didn't seem to be hearing him. "Jaime...?"

Jaime's eyes grew wide as she doubled over, clutching her stomach. "Help...me...." she gasped, before falling over into Rudy's waiting arms.

- - - - -


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"The stress was too much for her," Doctor Jeffries told Oscar. "She needs to see her husband – to know that he's alright – but unfortunately he's still unconscious. And I don't want her moved. Not right now."

"Is she in labor?" Oscar asked.

"She's had some contractions, but they seem to have lessened. I've got her on IV meds that should stop them entirely. Hopefully, we've avoided full-on labor, but we'll know more by morning."

Just down the hall, Rudy was tending to the other hospitalized Austin. Steve had two separate IV lines running into his left arm and an oxygen mask over his face. When he began moving around, showing signs of coming to, he started reaching for the mask (to pull it off) before he'd even opened his eyes. Once Rudy saw that Steve was fully awake, he removed it for him. "Hi there," he told his patient. "Welcome back."

"Don't...tell....Jaime..." were the first words out of Steve's mouth.

Rudy wasn't exactly sure how to answer that. "She knows, Steve," he said gently. "She was in my office when Oscar called."

"Oh, no....she's gonna...kill me."

"I wouldn't worry about that."

"Where...is she?" Steve wondered.

"You really should try and rest now," Rudy stalled. "You had a pretty close call and your lung took a beating. We can talk in the morning."

Steve seemed to accept this. He really was awfully tired and soon had drifted off to sleep.

---

In the morning, Steve was not so easily appeased. Before his breakfast tray had even arrived, the nurses caught him trying to get out of bed, tubes and all, and had quickly summoned Rudy. "I've been shot before, Doc," he insisted, ignoring the pain in his desire to just get _on_ with it. "I'll heal better at home....really...."

"Not so fast," Rudy insisted. "Do the words 'punctured lung' mean anything to you? You nearly _died_ less than 24 hours ago – now, get back in bed!"

Steve sighed and obediently sat back down – on top of the covers. After a hard, raised-eyebrow stare from Rudy he got back under the blanket...and reached for the phone. "Gotta call Jaime....let her know..." Steve winced as he reached too far for comfort...."that...I'm okay."

Rudy took the receiver from Steve's hand and hung it up. "Jaime's here," he said quietly. He had no choice but to tell Steve what had happened.

---

Jaime woke up calling softly for her husband. Instead, she found Oscar on one side of her bed and Doctor Jeffries on the other. She felt that now-familiar _thump_ to her ribcage, telling her the baby had survived the night and she rubbed her stomach and looked expectantly at the doctor. "Are we...okay?" she asked.

"You did experience some contractions, but we've managed to hold off labor for now," Jeffries told her. "You'll need to stay here for a few days so we can be sure you don't reject the fetus or deliver prematurely."

Jaime nodded solemnly. "And Steve? Is he alright?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Rudy called out from the doorway, pushing Steve's wheelchair into the room. Rudy shrugged at Jeffries. "I couldn't keep him in bed any longer without bringing him here first."

Steve, under firm orders to stay in the chair, could only take his wife's hand, but both Jaime's and his own eyes glistened with tears of relief at seeing each other. The doctors and Oscar quietly slipped out of the room to give them a bit of privacy.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Steve whispered.

"It's not your fault," Jaime told him. She laid his hand across her belly – and they only had to wait a few moments. "We're okay," Jaime said, echoing what 'Edgar' had already told them with his little thump.

---

Four days later, both Austins were ready to leave the hospital. Steve stubbornly insisted on walking out the door, while Jaime remained in a wheelchair. "Remember," Rudy reminded them, "you are both to take it easy. Police each other if you have to. Steve, at least a week of doing as little as possible. And Jaime...you are off of your feet for the duration, Young Lady. Peggy and Lynda will be bringing your meals until I give Steve the okay to start doing more. They'll help you for as long as you need them, so don't push yourselves. Understood?"

"Got it, Doc," Steve answered for both of them. He grinned and adopted his best Southern drawl. "I'll keep the little lady in line – don't ya'll worry 'bout a thing!"

- - - - -


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Confined to bed with my beautiful wife..." Steve mused. "There are definitely worse fates."

"We have to behave," Jaime giggled.

"And that's one of 'em," he said with a teasing frown.

"Very funny, Austin. You're no more up to that than I am."

"I can dream, can't I?" Steve laughed, then grew serious as he drew a tender hand across Jaime's belly bump. "How're you and Edgar feeling?"

"Very thankful that all three of us are still here...together," she told him with a soft kiss.

""Now, when you say 'all of us'....that bump got big awfully fast. You sure we're not looking at Edgar – and Edwina?"

Jaime slugged him playfully. "Bite your tongue, Austin! Two at once is _so_ not in the contract!"

When Callahan brought dinner that first night, Russ was with her – and they were clearly dressed for a date. Surprisingly, they set up a table next to the Austins' bed and created a sort of double date, dining with their friends.

"Have you set a date yet?" Jaime asked.

Peggy named a date that was about four months in the future. "That way, your baby'll be a month old, give or take a week or two – and you can still be my Matron of Honor!"

"And my Best Man," Russ added.

Steve grinned, ducking the punch he knew he was about to get. "And our twins can be a miniature ring bearer and flower girl!"

Jaime decked him anyway.

---

Rudy arrived the next morning with milk, coffee and donuts for his two patients, who had dutifully remained in bed. "Hey, Doc," Steve began (with chocolate frosting dotting his mischievous grin), "should she be getting so _big_...this soon?"

Rudy smiled. "You've got a wonderfully healthy baby to look forward to....provided _you_ follow doctor's orders, Young Lady."

"But only _one_ healthy baby, right?" Jaime asked, tucking into a second donut.

"I only heard one heartbeat as of yesterday, but let's have another listen," Rudy told her. Jaime bared her tummy bulge while Steve gently poked the doctor in the ribs...and winked. Rudy listened closely through the stethoscope and stood back up to address his patient. "Hmmm...I don't know. There could be two...maybe even three..." Seeing Jaime's face, though, Rudy couldn't hold onto the joke – and burst out laughing. "Just one, Honey, at least as far as I can tell."

Jaime couldn't slug her doctor, so Steve got it again. "You put him up to this, didn't you?" Almost against her will, she was giggling too.

"Seriously, Doc," Steve persisted, "she's getting big pretty darn fast."

"Well, is there any possibility she could be further along than you told me? In other words -"

"Nothing happened in Greece," Jaime told him.

"Any more pains?" Rudy asked, changing the subject quickly and getting back down to business.

"Nope. Just the one sitting next to me."

"Blood pressure's normal. Fetal heartbeat is good and strong. Now let's have a look at Daddy Austin."

Steve's wound was beginning to heal nicely. "Any shortness of breath?" Rudy asked him.

"I'm fine. When can I get outta bed?"

"Don't rush things," the doctor told him. "Another two or three days. And that doesn't mean back to normal activity right away – you'll ease into it gradually."

"I just wanna be able to take care of my wife...and the twins."

"Will you _stop_ it!" Jaime laughed. "Rudy, he's gonna drive me crazy!"

Rudy was relieved to see his friends hadn't lost their spirit. "Lynda will be here to check on you – and bring your lunch – in a few hours. Jaime...don't hurt him too badly."

"I'm telling you," Steve teased after Rudy was gone, "I've got an instinct about these things. There's two of 'em in there." Happily, he extended his right arm to receive another well-deserved slug.

- - - - -


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

By the next morning, one of Rudy's patients had lost his patience. "That doesn't strike me as 'bed rest', Austin!" Jaime called to Steve, who was puttering in the kitchen. "Rudy's gonna be here any minute, and -"

"And I'll be right here, waiting for him," Steve said, climbing back into bed and handing Jaime a cup of tea with a gallant flourish. "You look exceptionally beautiful this morning, Sweetheart."

Jaime laughed. "If you're trying to butter me up not to tell him, I think the tea cup's a dead giveaway."

"Yeah, but maybe you can put in a good word for me – tell him to let me be up and around -"

"It's still a couple of days too early," Jaime pointed out.

"Maybe, but I feel fine...and you and the twins need the extra room."

"Will you _stop it_!"

"Is he giving you trouble?" Rudy scolded, on his way down the hall. Neither Austin had heard him come in. He saw the tea cup right away and frowned. "Which one of you was out of bed? And I don't mean the bathroom – I mean the kitchen."

"Guilty," Steve admitted.

"In his defense," Jaime pleaded lightly, "I was really thirsty...."

"Uh-huh." Rudy shook his head with mock consternation. "There's no keeping you in bed, is there?" he scolded.

"I feel fine," Steve insisted. "Okay – a little sore. Sometimes a lot sore, but I can be equally as sore in the kitchen or in bed."

"You got your MD....where?" Rudy questioned.

"A cup of tea – or even a sandwich – isn't exactly exerting myself, Doc."

"Alright....okay. You win. But no further than the kitchen or the living room, no heavy lifting – no work of any kind. Got it? And Jaime...."

"I know," she sighed. "In bed for the duration."

"Gotta keep the babies safe," Steve agreed.

"Rudy! Tell him!"

"Actually, Honey," Rudy began, already examining the baby bump, "I'd like to schedule you for an ultrasound."

"Is that safe?" Steve wondered.

"Perfectly safe – for Mom and baby. Bethesda's got a new machine; I'll arrange for you to be seen this morning and Doctor Jeffries can meet us there."

---

"That is _cold_!" Jaime protested as Doctor Jeffries rubbed gel on her bare stomach. She looked over at the machine and thought how much it looked like a modern-day miniature torture machine.

Steve felt her squeeze his hand and picked up her anxiety. "This won't hurt her...or the babies...will it?" he asked.

"There is absolutely no electrical current making contact with her body – it's all done with sound waves," Jeffries explained. "Pretty soon, you'll see your baby for the very first time."

Rudy leaned in closer as Jeffries picked up the transducer and placed it against Jaime's skin. At first, the screen was filled with what looked like a mass of wavy lines, then.....very slowly....a tiny form came into view. Jaime's eyes filled with tears. "Is that...?"

"Say hello to your baby," Jeffries said with a grin.

Steve and Jaime were speechless at the sight of the tiny, perfectly-formed infant. They could see arms, hands...even fingers. Jaime kissed her fingers and held them up toward the screen, and when she turned she felt that beloved _thump_ to her ribcage. Doctor Jeffries frowned slightly and shifted the transducer.

"Can you lie flat on your back for me?" he requested, shifting the instrument again. He looked at Rudy, who raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Steve caught the look, although Jaime, lying flat, did not. "What is it?" he asked nervously. "Is something wrong?"

Rudy stepped over to the screen and pointed. "See that?"

"I'm not sure..." Steve really didn't know what he was looking at.

Jaime figured it out almost immediately. "Oh, no – is that a -?"

"It sure is," Rudy answered, smiling.

"Will someone _please_ tell me?" Steve demanded.

Jeffries finally answered him. "That, Daddy, is another leg."

"Our baby...has three legs?"

"Nope," Jaime told him. "Looks like we're renegotiating that contract."

Steve still didn't get it.

Rudy patted him on the back. "It means you need two cribs," he chuckled.

- - - - -


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

As Jaime entered her 30th week, her belly bump became more of a mountain....and she was becoming increasingly cranky, in direct proportion. "I feel like an over-stuffed sausage," she griped.

Steve kissed her and smiled. "You've never looked more beautiful."

"Oh, cut the crap, Austin. I look like a beached whale!"

Steve patiently adjusted her blankets and fluffed the pillows. Rudy had warned him there might be some extreme mood swings – and he sure hadn't been kidding! "Just think of the end result," he reminded Jaime, tenderly rubbing her stomach, which sometimes helped to soothe her...but not today.

"Yeah, I know – two tiny little expressions of our love....that I have to give birth to in rapid succession!" Jaime sighed and the fight slowly ebbed out of her. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm just so tired of this room...this bed...and -"

"Me?"

"Never tired of you," she told him. "But I wanna be outside, to go shopping for baby stuff, design a nursery – all of those fun things new mothers get to do...and I can't."

Steve sat down beside her on the bed, and arm partially encircling her. "I'll take pictures of everything and you can choose what we actually buy. It'll be just like you designed it yourself."

"I know.....OW!" Jaime winced and clutched her stomach.

Steve was instantly on his feet. "What is it? Contractions?"

"I don't...think so. But – OW! - I think you'd better call the doctors...."

---

"Is it labor?" Steve asked, trying hard not to let Jaime feel his anxiety. She was already frightened enough.

"No," Jeffries explained. "Jaime, we'll need to take you to the hospital and get you back on IV meds to hold off contractions for as long as possible."

Steve sat down next to Jaime and held her gently as another wave of pain wracked her entire body. "What's happening to her?" he pleaded.

Rudy did his best to explain. "When I told the two of you that Jaime's body had enough room to carry a baby to term, I was thinking in terms of _one_ baby. At this point in the pregnancy, Honey, when you're growing so large so quickly, your muscles and nerve endings are pressing hard against your bionic connections and causing overwhelming stress to your whole system."

Jaime nodded and was about to ask a question when the pain intensified...and didn't recede. Rudy hurried to call an ambulance while Jeffries medicated Jaime for the trip. The only thing Steve could do was hold her hand...

---

Jaime was quickly settled into a hospital bed, and as much as Steve hated to leave her, she was soon sleeping peacefully...and he needed answers. While Doctor Jeffries watched the machines that monitored both Jaime and the babies' conditions, Steve met with Rudy in the little office down the hall.

"How bad _is_ this?" he demanded anxiously.

"We were worried that this might happen," Rudy conceded. "To put it in plain English, Jaime's body and her bionics are at war. Her body is expanding at a much faster rate than if she were only carrying one baby and her bionic systems aren't getting the usual signals from her nerve endings. There's also the possibility that there simply may not be enough space. Rejection has always been a consideration, but now it's a much bigger risk – and unfortunately, so is premature labor. If she stabilizes, we'll keep her here for the rest of the pregnancy, where we can keep a very close eye on her condition."

Rudy paused, not wanting to tell Steve the rest, but knowing he needed to hear the whole truth. "If things don't improve, we may have to deliver the babies."

"It's too early..." Steve said softly.

"There may be no other choice. "Steve, I'm sorry, but it may come down to saving Jaime....or losing all three of them."

- - - - -


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Jack Hansen was certainly not on anyone's list of favorite people, but Oscar (having just hung up after receiving devastating news from Rudy) was truly not in the mood for Jack's brand of ugliness.

"Trying to keep it from me, Goldman?" Hansen demanded.

Oscar was keeping _lots_ of things from his nemesis – life ran much more smoothly that way – but Oscar wasn't about to indulge in this cat and mouse game. Not today. Instead, he stared silently, knowing Jack couldn't resist digging in his claws

"I just found out that your first assistant is engaged...to your secretary!" Hansen sputtered. "Do you know what that looks like?"

"It looks like another wedding invitation you won't be getting, Jack," Oscar shot back.

"Funny. Very funny. It's bad enough that your two top agents got themselves hitched and are hard at work on their very own litter -"

"_Shut up_, Jack!" Oscar seethed, roaring to his feet and landing a solid punch to Hansen's jaw before he could consider what he was doing. "Right now, Jaime is in the hospital, fighting for her _life_!" he thundered. "And they stand to lose both of those babies – so I'm not about to stay here and listen to you spew stupidity!" Oscar pushed the smaller man aside and stormed out to the elevator, leaving Hansen alone in the office, rubbing his sore jaw and wondering what the hell had just happened.

---

Steve had spent a sleepless night at Jaime's side, one hand resting softly on her stomach as if willing all three of them to hang on. In the middle of the night, when Rudy appeared with another dose of the sedative, Steve's fear was nearly unbearable.

"Is that safe?" he asked. "Keeping her drugged like that?"

Rudy pulled the empty syringe from the IV line. "It's safer than having her tossing and turning in pain, doing even more damage." He took a long look at the monitors. "Still no contractions, no sign of fetal distress. That's very good. We'll let her wake up in the morning – to have some breakfast – and we'll assess her condition then, and decide how to proceed from here. You should try and rest, too; I could have a cot sent in."

"I couldn't sleep anyway, Rudy – not right now...." Steve's eyes never left Jaime's face.

At around 6:30am, Jaime began to stir. Steve pressed the 'call' button but the doctors, alerted by the remote monitoring system, were already on their way. Jaime moaned softly, her eyes still closed, and whispered Steve's name.

"I'm here, Sweetheart," he told her, touching her cheek. "I'm right here."

"The babies..." she murmured, finally opening her eyes. "Are they...okay?"

"They're in the best possible hands, Sweetheart – and so are you."

Jaime frowned as her ear picked up a conversation. Rudy was still halfway across the hospital but Jaime was especially alert for his voice. "No..." she said, very softly.

"Jaime...?" Steve leaned closer, thinking she was in pain.

"They....they wanna...deliver the babies...!" she cried, sitting up with horror-filled eyes.

Steve eased her back down, as gently as possible. "You need to lie down...and rest." Jaime fought him weakly, seeming like she was trying to escape. _Damn that ear!_ Steve thought to himself.

"We can't let them take the babies!" she insisted, too wrung out to fight anymore. As she fell back onto the pillow, her body was hit with the strongest wave of pain yet and she curled up as tightly as her swollen stomach would allow. The room was spinning dizzily and suddenly she saw only spots in front of her eyes, but Jaime gripped Steve's hand tightly. She needed to make sure he _understood_. "Steve...don't let them..."

"Shhh...." he said, trying to calm her at least at little. "The doctors are coming..."

"I know! Please...no matter what happens....don't let them take the babies!"

- - - - -


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Promise me, Steve..." Jaime had insisted as she faded from consciousness. Her doctors had overheard her plea to save the babies as they rounded the corner and rushed to her bedside. They would do what they could, of course, but they both hoped the decision hadn't just been wrenched from everyone's hands. Doctor Jeffries increased the flow on the IV and injected additional medicine to relax Jaime's muscles, allowing the doctors to uncurl her body and lay her out flat on the bed. Almost immediately, she let out a deep sigh and went from taut to completely limp. "Pressure's dropping back toward normal," Rudy announced.

"Fetal heartbeats are strong – no distress," Jeffries added. "Looks like we dodged the bullet – for now."

After switching the monitors to 'remote', the men left Jaime alone to rest while they regrouped in Rudy's office to talk. "We may have reached an impasse," Rudy began. "Jaime's body is expanding very rapidly – call it an irresistible force – and hitting an equally immovable object...her bionics. That's what's causing her pain: the nerve endings and the bionic connections are being squashed, sending a sort of shock wave through her entire system."

"We know what your wife's wishes are," Jeffries continued. "What are your thoughts, Colonel?"

"I can't stand to see Jaime suffering like this," Steve told them. "If the twins were delivered today, would they live?"

"Possibly," Jeffries answered. "They'd have about a fifty percent chance of survival. Given another week or two for their lungs to mature, that chance would rise to about 75 percent....but I don't believe your wife has that much time. She's stable for now, but you've seen just how quickly that can change."

"If she was your wife," Steve said slowly, "if this was your _family_...what would you do?"

"I would tell the doctors to proceed with delivery," Jeffries admitted, "but if Jaime remains stable, we can give this a little time to see how things progress. As long as she's not in immediate danger."

Steve nodded. "Let's do that – for now." When he returned to his wife, she looked very pale but was sleeping quietly. As had become his habit, Steve rested his hand on her stomach and the tiny kicks he felt made him smile. They gave him _hope_.

---

After 72 hours spent entirely flat on her back, Jaime's condition stabilized enough for her to sit up in bed, and the doctors decided it was time to attempt a full meal After checking her over thoroughly, Rudy and Jeffries left their patient alone with her husband, deciding that the less they hovered over her, the more comfortable Jaime would feel.

"I'm not really hungry," Jaime protested. "Besides, I don't think there's room in there for even a bite of food. This body is stuffed to the gills!"

"You have to eat, Sweetheart," Steve told her patiently. "At least try. It's not hospital food – we ordered it in especially for you – so you know it's edible."

"The turkey does look good," Jaime allowed. Encouraged, Steve speared a piece on the fork and held it to her lips. "You don't have to feed me, you know," she told him, taking the bite and chewing it slowly.

"I _like_ taking care of you. How 'bout some glazed carrots?"

"Maybe a little..."

Oscar watched this sweet, touching scene from the doorway, staying quiet so as not to break the spell. He'd been here many times over the last few days, checking on Jaime and bringing coffee and sandwiches for Steve. Today, seeing them together, Oscar smiled. He couldn't wait to share the good news with Christine.

---

"Oscar, that's wonderful!" Christine gushed. She'd been hoping he'd call, spent most of the day thinking about him, in fact. "I'm so relieved."

"So am I," Oscar replied. "Listen, I know it's very short notice, but are you free for dinner tonight?"

"For you? Always."

Seeing the tender way Steve had taken care of Jaime had warmed Oscar's heart to a point where he finally felt comfortable enough to lay his own feelings bare, whatever the consequences. "I'll pick you up at 7. Christine....I love you."

- - - - -


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Jaime slept through much of her 31st week, with very little pain, as her doctors felt it was safer to keep her medicated than to risk shock and bionic rejection if she should have another episode. Doctor Jeffries assured Steve that the babies would suffer less harm from the medicines than they would from a premature delivery or (God forbid) the death of their mother. Although he didn't like it, Steve reluctantly agreed. Jaime was awakened for meals and usually proved to be in good spirits...although it was getting harder and harder for her to eat.

Halfway through the 32nd week, Jaime stared down at her dinner tray...and burst into tears. "It looks so good," she told Steve, "and I love pot roast, but – I just can't. There is _no room_ at the inn!"

"I'll get Rudy," Steve said, squeezing her hand.

"She's right," Rudy agreed after a brief exam. "There is little to no room left. The babies are pressing upward, compressing your internal organs, Honey. Are you having any trouble breathing?"

"No. I feel fine. Just...stuffed."

"I think it's time to talk again about delivering the twins," Rudy suggested gently.

"You said their chances were better, the longer we wait, right?" Jaime asked.

"Yes, but -"

"Well, I feel fine...so let's wait. I wanna give them as much of a good start as I possibly can!"

Steve had to step in. "Sweetheart, if your health is in jeopardy..."

"But it isn't – right, Rudy? Tell him!"

"It could reach that point very soon, Jaime. Your lungs could be compressed, with any number of...catastrophic results."

"We'll talk about it when – and if – that happens." Jaime insisted, her jaw set in that very stubborn way that told the men the discussion was over. For now.

---

Jaime held on – forcing herself to eat, sometimes only a bite or two at a time – and refusing any attempts by Steve or the doctors to broach the subject of delivering the twins. "It's not time yet," she told them firmly. Steve spent a lot of time massaging her stomach, which sometimes seemed to be growing bigger by the day, and doing whatever he could to keep her distracted and entertained when she was awake.

As she entered the 34th week, she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable and finding it hard to sleep, even when sedated. "I'm as big as a house!" she muttered. "I'll bet if there was a fire, I wouldn't even be able to get out the door!"

"Aw – we could try backing you out," Steve joked.

Jaime was _not_ amused. "Rudy, are you sure there are only two...?" she asked, semi-pleading for a negative response.

"As far as we know, Honey."

Jaime looked at her husband. "Could you imagine," she began, bursting into helpless peals of laughter...which soon turned to alarm. Jaime couldn't catch her breath.

Rudy reached for the oxygen mask hanging above the bed and secured it over Jaime's face. "Go tell the nurse to page Jeffries," he said quietly to Steve. "It's time."

---

Steve was left to pace the floor outside the operating room for hours – and nothing Oscar could say or do would persuade him to sit down. "What if we waited too long?" Steve agonized.

"She's in excellent hands, Pal."

"She couldn't _breathe_! This is taking too long! Why haven't they told us anything – what's happening in there?"

"They're taking the best possible care of Jaime...and the babies," Oscar told him. "They'll talk to us as soon as they can."

"But she couldn't breathe!" Steve repeated. He couldn't get that last glimpse of Jaime out of his head – the awful gasping finally abated by the insertion of a tube in her throat....the death-like pallor of her skin as she was wheeled down the hall at a runner's pace, through the big double doors. He could only pray that it wouldn't be the last time he ever saw her...

- - - - -


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

It seemed to take an eternity, but Steve knew he couldn't kid himself. This was _not_ a normal delivery – it was _emergency surgery_, with three very precious lives hanging in the balance. He'd stopped looking at the clock because seeing the minutes (and the hours) tick by was sheer torture. Was his family alright? (Did he still _have_ a family....?)

There was very little Oscar could do except sit by in silent support, waiting to either rejoice or grieve with his friend, depending on what the next few hours would bring. For someone so used to being in control of every situation, it was truly difficult for Oscar to simply sit and wait.

Steve knew that Jaime had held on long enough to at least give the twins a decent, fighting chance...but had they suffered a lack of oxygen when their mother was struggling for air?

Doctor Jeffries emerged first. His body was weary...but his face was jubilant. "Congratulations, Colonel," he said, a hand on Steve's shoulder to steady the new father, "you have two beautiful daughters."

"Girls...." Steve whispered, letting it sink in. "Two girls....and they're...okay?"

"They're very small, but so far they're staying strong."

"And...Jaime?"

Jeffries smile flickered. "Rudy's still with her. We're trying to get her off the ventilator, but she's having some difficulty."

"Will she...make it?"

"If we have to, we'll keep her on the respirator for now," Jeffries explained. Steve noticed that he hadn't really answered the question..and his heart sank. "In the meantime," the doctor went on, "let's go and meet your daughters."

A makeshift (but very efficient) neonatal ICU had been set up in the front corner of the adult Intensive Care, directly across from the nurses' station. Steve tentatively approached the two incubators, almost afraid of what he might see. The first glimpse of the two little girls took his breath away. They were so tiny – one just under four pounds and the other a half-pound lighter – but every finger and toe was there (he counted, of course), in perfectly-formed miniature. He was instantly smitten, completely besotted, and he couldn't take his eyes off of them.

He talked softly to them for a very long time, welcoming them to the world and telling them how very much they were wanted and loved. He wasn't allowed to hold them yet, but Steve put his hand through the gloved hole in the side of each incubator and caressed each of the little pink fists. His heart pounded wildly as the babies' tiny hands closed reflexively around his finger.

He didn't even notice when Rudy came up beside him, until the doctor spoke. "Congratulations, Steve; they're beautiful."

"Rudy...how's Jaime?"

The doctor smiled warmly. "She's finally stable – and she's breathing on her own."

"Is she awake? Can I see her?" Steve asked anxiously.

"She's still in Recovery, coming out of the anesthesia, but I'll take you to her."

Steve nodded and, before leaving the ICU, kissed his hand and laid it lightly on top of each of the incubators. "Daddy loves you," he whispered simply, "and I'll be back soon."

---

Jaime was lying very still, with tubes and wires everywhere, but she looked a thousand times better than the last time Steve had seen her. He tenderly brushed the stray hairs from her face and sat down to wait. Slowly, Jaime began to revive. She opened her eyes to see her husband leaning over her, beaming with his entire face.

"Hi, Mommy," he said happily, bending down to kiss her.

"The babies!" Jaime gasped, suddenly realizing she was no longer pregnant. "Are they alright?"

"Better than alright. We have two beautiful daughters."

"You've seen them?"

"They're perfect – ten fingers and ten toes each," Steve told her. "How do you feel?"

"Did you get the license plate?" Jaime asked lightly.

"Huh?"

"Of the truck that hit me!" In spite of the pain that was starting to flood through her from the incision (and the general trauma), Jaime smiled.

- - - - -


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Jaime, get back in bed – please? Rudy'll have my head!" Right now, the independent (stubborn) streak that was part of why Steve loved her so much was driving him crazy. "You need your rest!"

"I _need_ to see our babies, Steve!"

"First thing in the morning, when the doctors okay it -"

"I'm going now," Jaime insisted.

"I can ask the nurses to take a picture for you," Steve offered. "You just need to rest a little longer..."

Jaime looked up at the clock above the door. "It is fifteen minutes 'til midnight. Now, I'm gonna see our daughters on the day they were born!"

"At least let me get a wheelchair," Steve sighed. He knew arguing with Jaime was useless. "So...what do you think we should call them?" he asked after he'd hijacked a chair and was wheeling her toward the ICU.

"Well, I have to meet them first."

"Oh – I talked to Mom tonight, and she asked us to please not name one Helen."

"Why?" Jaime wondered. That had been one of the names she'd had in mind.

"She doesn't wanna hear either one of us yelling the name 'Helen' when we're angry, so -"

Jaime nodded. "Good point....I guess." They'd reached the front of the ICU and, as the nurses looked up in surprise, Steve wheeled Jaime to sit directly between the incubators. She was awed by the sight. Without waiting for instructions, Jaime inserted one hand in each gloved hole and ran a feather-light fingertip across each girl's cheek. "Hi, babies," she whispered. "I'm....your Mama."

Steve choked back his own tears of pride and placed his hands on Jaime's shoulders. "They're almost as beautiful as their Mama," he told Jaime softly.

"Mom's middle name is Rose....right?" Jaime asked, her eyes never leaving her daughters' faces.

"I like that," Steve agreed.

"Okay, then." Jaime touched the smaller baby's shoulder. "Rose, it is." She turned to the second child. "And...." she glanced up at Steve, who read her easily and nodded. "Ann. Welcome to the world, Rose and Ann."

"My girls," Steve said, chuckling to himself. "I am definitely outnumbered – and I'll _never_ get another word in edgewise!" He knew, at that moment, that he wouldn't want it any other way.

END OF EPISODE NINE


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